The Hastati have a long and storied history, starting with the very first prototype of The Foundation Guard Dave in 2,143. They weren't truly Daves, and were in fact genetically modified humans, but to avoid suspicion from anybody that might know of them, they were labelled as Daves. They were short and stout, with strong muscles and thick bones. This made them more durable than the average human, which is already significantly stronger than the average Dave, yet still very far from what was desired.